One of Josh Brolin’s most iconic roles is one in which we never saw his face. He played Thanos throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Infinity Saga story, and while he admitted that the process of playing the role had him looking pretty ridiculous, it sounds like he actually really loved the experience.
At this point, the process of doing motion capture CGI is well understood, and it’s not exactly the coolest thing in the world. In order to make a person look like an alien with digital effects, they have to wear what have been called “mo cap pajamas,” which doesn’t necessarily make for the coolest looking wardrobe. Josh Brolin has a different name for the outfit that he told The Independent. It’s one that includes some colorful language, and yet he apparently loves to wear it. He said…
You’re in a fucking onesie, and you have dots all over your face, and it’s a joke, and you’re having to totally rely on your imagination. It’s so great.
It’s sort of wild to see Josh Brolin refer to wearing “a fucking onesie” as “a joke,” and then follow it up by saying it’s great. He apparently loves the ridiculousness of the entire thing because it, at least in one way, forces him to become a better actor because he knows just how silly he looks.
Honestly, while I’d never thought of it quite like that before, what Brolin says makes a great deal of sense. Thanos is portrayed on screen as both a massive physical character, as well as a force of nature. He delivers his dialogue in a way that commands attention and makes everybody realize that this is somebody who needs to be treated seriously.
So the fact that Josh Brolin did all that in his “fucking onesie” is both hilarious and a testament to the actor’s ability that he was able to pull it off. He had to use his imagination to understand how it would look when it was done and give a performance that matched that, not what he actually saw.
While CGI is often compared unfavorably to traditional effects, it has its place and is an art form like any other on a movie set. Josh Brolin seems to appreciate what it means for him as an actor. Other stars like, Zoe Saldaña, have come to the defense of motion capture and the work that actors do for it.
Thanos was so popular that there are those who hope we haven’t seen the last of him. Some rumors have indicated we could see another version of Thanos appear as part of the multiverse story set to unfold in Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars. Brolin has certainly indicated that if the Russo Brothers called, he would be at the very least interested in talking with them.